Bob Bashara makes first court visit in wife's death

May 1, 2013

Bob Bashara appears in Judge Bruce U. Morrow's court with his defense attorney Mark Kriger on Thursday, September 13, 2012. The defense was requesting a bond modification for Bob Bashara who is accused of conspiracy to commit murder against Joseph Gentz at Wayne County District Court in Detroit. / Jessica J. Trevino/ Detroit Free Press

Written by

Tammy Stables Battaglia

Detroit Free Press Staff Writer

Grosse Pointe businessman Bob Bashara is expected to appear today in court to be arraigned on charges that he killed his wife more than a year ago.

Jane Bashara was found strangled in January 2012 and left in her SUV, which was left in an alley on Detroit’s east side.

Budget woes delayed the first court appearance for Bashara, who was charged two weeks ago with first-degree murder and charges related to intimidating witnesses, encouraging witnesses to lie under oath, encouraging people to call in fake tips and trying to have one witness leave the state.

Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy’s officer announced Bashara’s appearance in a release issued Tuesday. He’s scheduled to appear before Magistrate Laura A. Echartea at 1:30 p.m. in 36th District Court in downtown Detroit. He also faces charges of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, solicitation to commit murder, suborning of perjury during a capital trial, witness intimidation and obstruction of justice.

Bashara has been in a Manistee prison, sentenced to serve between 6 ˝ and 20 years for trying to hire a hitman to kill handyman Joseph Gentz. Gentz told investigators Bashara hired him to kill Jane Bashara. Gentz is serving a 17 to 28 years in prison for his role in Jane Bashara’s death.